Steak and method of producing same



June 21, 1932. r H. F. TAYLOR S'I'EKK AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME oiiinal rile July 1, 1929 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE HABDEN 'F. TAYLOR, 0F SCARSDALE, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNOR TOTHE ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORLTICN 'OF 'MAINE STEAK AND METHOD or raonucmc SAME IApplication filed July 1, 1929, Serial No. 375,165. Renewed November 19,1931.

This invention relates to comestibles and more particularly to steaks orcuts transverse of the grain or muscle fibers of meat and to the methodof producing the same. In my copending application, Serial No. 343,569,filed February 28, 1929, there are disclosed steaks-and a method ofproducing the same. of cross-cut pieces of fish or other comestibleshaving a band of material therearound to hold the pieces together. Oneof the methods of producing said steaks consisted in forming asubstantially cylindrical mass of fish, enveloping said mass in a tubeof paper or the like, cutting the filled tube transversely thereofin anydesired thickness and freezing the severed portions. Specifically thismethod consisted in forming a trough of parchment paper by raising thetwo edges with respect to the middle. In this paper trou h skinned andboned pieces of fish, such as lets, were placed preferablylongitudinally of the trough and parallel to one another. The upperedges of the trough were gradually bent or folded to form a tube. Tosecure the portions adjacent the edges to tube the overlapping portionswere glued, stapled, stitched or otherwise fastened. Subse uently themass was cut transversely thereo to form steaks of any predeterminedthickness.

I have found that I can produce steaks of the type above describ edwithout the aid of adhesives, staples, stitches or the like in theformation of the tube. This is attained by forming a predeterminedshaped mass of meat, spirally wrapping said 'mass with a tape or ribbon,preferably with the successive convolutions overlapping, cutting saidwrapped mass transversely thereof and freezing the severed portions. Aswill be more fully explained, the freezing operation may be carried outprior to the cutting into individual stea s.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method offorming frozen steaks on a plurality of cross-cut pieces of meat havinga band therearound, said bandhaving no positive means such as adhesives,staples, stitches, orthe like for securing 1t.

The steaks comprise a plurality,

form a continuous Another object of this invention is to provide amethod of forming frozen steaks which comprises formin a predeterminedshaped mass of a comestible such as fish, spirally wrapping said masswith a ribbon or tape of any suitable material and preferably in such amanner that the successive convolutions thereof overlap.

An additional object of this invention is to, provide a frozen steakformed of a plurality of cross-cut pieces of meat having a bandresulting from the transverse cutting of a spirally wound tape ofoverlapping convolutions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a food productcomprising a frozen steak formed of a plurality of cross-cut pieces offish having a band resulting from the transverse cutting and preferablyat right angles to the axis of a spirally wound band having 7 itssuccessive convolutions overlapping.

Other objects will appear from the following description, appendedclaims and accompanying drawing in which: 7

Figure 1 desi ates a cylindrical massv of a plurality of llets of fishor other meat spirally wrapped ready for cutting.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a steak slowing one modification of theband there- 0 I 80 Figure 3 is a top plan view of the steak. Referringto the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, thereference numeral 1 designates a plurality of pieces of a comestiblecomprising a steak .85 and formed in a predetermined shape. In Figure 1the mass is substantially cylindrical in shape but the invention is notlimited thereto since any other shape may be used. Though the followingdescription refers specifically to fish, it is to be understood that the.inventlon is not restricted thereto since it is applicable to meats ofall kinds. The cylindrical mass is produced by arranging'the fish,preferably in the form of fillets, longitudinally with the muscle fibersparallel to one another in a suitable device such as a mold orsemi-cylindrical trough. In the formation of the mass the adherenceofthe fillets to one another may be improved by treating them 100 prior"to the formation of said mass with a mild alkaline brine such asdescribed in my copending application, Serial No. 276,493. The adherenceof the fillets to one another may also be improved by permitting orcausing them to dry slightly. This causes the natural moisture on thesurface which contains proteinaceous and gluey compounds to become thickand tacky.

After the fillets have been arranged and formed in the cylindrical massas described, it is forced from the shaping device. As the mass issuesand at the point of exit therefrom it is wrapped with a ta or ribbon 2of any suitable material. Pre erably, the mass is spirally wrapped, thesuccessive turns or convolutions of the wrapping overlapping as ly ifthe successive turns or clearly indicated in the drawing. In practice Ihave found that a ribbon of approximately one or two inches wide forms asubstantially snug retaining means and especialconvolutions overlap byapproximately one-half of the width of the ribbon. This wrapped mass isthen cut transversely preferably at right angles to the axis of the massby means of a knife. By forming the mass of a predetermined diameter andcutting it in a predetermined thickness, steaks of predetermined weightma be obtained.

ese steakslend themselves very easily to wrappin and packing inbulk.They may be and pre erably are frozen prior to wrapping and packing, thefreezing thereof serving to preserve :the product and also to fix theshape and cohesiveness of the composite steak in a permanent unitarystructure, the shape of which is retained even after defrosting orthawing.

Various materials can be used to form the spiral wrapping or band.Satisfactory results have been obtained when tapes of paper, parchmentpaper, rice, and the llke are used.

Paper and many other materials stretch slightly when wet. Accordingly,if the wrapping is applied in its dry normal state and it becomes wet,it will stretch slightly causing a looseness in the final band. Toovercome this, the tape is moistened or wetted at some stage of theprocess. The wetting o ration permits the wrapping material to beslightly stretched and form a snug wrapping. It also increases thetraction and friction of the wrapping material whereby loosening andslipping of the band is prevented.

Instead of cutting the wrapped shaped mass to form the steaks as abovedescribed, it'may be cut in lengthsfrom one to five feet, forming bodiesof definite lengths. These bodies, preferably cylindrically shaped, arefrozen and subsequently sawed or out either in the frozen or defrostedstate to form steaks. Instead of cutting the wrapped mass in definitelengths the meat may be regenerated cellulose, fabzen and finally cut orsawed into any desired thicknesses, while in the frozen state or afterdefrosting, as previously mentioned.

From the above it is apparent that the spiral wrap gives a substantiallytight band and. satisfactorily holds together the composite pieces offish without the use of adhesives, staples and the like.

I claim:

1. A method of producing steaks, which comprises forming a predeterminedshaped mass of meat, spirally wrapping said mass, cutting said -wrappedmass transversely thereof and freezing the severed portions.

2. A method of producing steaks which comprises forming a substantiallycylindri "cal mass of meat, spirally wrapping said mass, cutting saidwrapped mass transversely thereof and freezing the severed portions.

3(A- method of producing steaks which comprises forming a predeterminedshaped mass of fish meat, spirally wrapping said mass, the successiveconvolutions overlapping, cutting said mass transversely thereof andfreezing the severed portions 4. A method of producing steaks whichcomprises forming a substantially cylindrical mass of fish meat,spirally wrappmg said mass, the successive convolutions overlapping,cutting said'mass transversely thereof and freezing the severedportions.

' 5. A method of producing steaks which comprises forming a in asubstantially cylindrical mass, spirally wrapping said mass with a tapeof parchment cutting said mass transversely thereof and freezing thesevered portions.

6. A method of producing steaks which comprises forming a plurality offish fillets in a predetermined shaped mass, spirally wrappmg said masswith a tape of parchment paper,-the convolutions of said wrapoverlapping, cutting said mass transversely thereof and freezing thesevered portions.

7. A method of producing steaks which comprises forming a plurality offish fillets .in a substantially cyl1ndrica1 mass, spirally wrappingsaid mass with a tape of parchment paper, the lapping, cutting said masstransversely thereof and freezing the severed portions.

8. A process of producing steaks which comprises forming a predeterminedmass .of meat, spirally wrapping said mass with a tape of parchmentpaper wetted at some stage of the process, the successiveconvolutions\of the wrap overlapping, cutting said mass transverselythereof and freezing the severed portions.

9. A process of producing steaks which comprises arranging a pluralityof fish fillets to form "a substantially cylindrical mass, spirallywrapping said mass with a tape of convolutions of said wrap over--plurality offish fillets -60 trons.

17. A food product comprising a frozen parchment paper wetted at somestageof the rally wrapping said mass, the successive conprocess, thesuccessive convolutions of the wrapoverlapping, cutting said masstransversely thereofand freezing the severediportions.

volutions of the wrap overlapping, freezing said mass and cutting saidmass transversely thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my 10. A process of producingsteaks which signature to this specification.

comprises forming a predetermined mass of meat, spirally wrapping saidmass with a tape of parchment paper wetted at some stage of the process,freezing said wrapped mass and cutting said mass transversely thereof.

11. A processof producing steaks which comprises arranging a pluralityof fish fillets spirally wrapping Said mass with a tape of parchmentpaper wetted at some stage of the process, freezing said mass, andcutting said mass transversely thereof.

comprises improvin the adhesiveness of meat, forming a pre eterminedshaped mass of said meat, spirall-y wrappin said mass with 'a tape, theconvolutions t ereof overlapping, cutting said mass transversely thereofand-freezing the severed portions.

13. A method of producing steaks which comprisesimproving theadhesiveness of fish meat, forming a predetermined shaped mass of saidfish meat, spirall V wrapping said mass with a tape, the convo utionsthereof overlapping, cutting said mass transversely there of andfreezing the severed portions.

14. A food'product comprising a frozen :5 steak formed of a lura-lityofcross-cut pieces of'meat having a and therearound resulting from thetransverse cutting of a spirally wound tape of overlapping convolutions.

' 15. A food roduct comprising a frozen 40 steak formed of a pluralityof cross-cut pieces to form a substantially cylindrical mass 12. Amethod of producing steaks, which V of fish meat having a bandtherearound re- 1 sulting' from the transverse cutting of a tions.

steak formed of a plurality of cross-cut pieces of fresh meat having aband therearound resultilig from the transverse cutting of a spira ywound tape of overlapping convolu steak formed of a plurality ofcross-cut pieces of fresh fish meat having a band therearound resultingfrom the transverse cutting of a 65 spirally wound tape of overlappingconvohitions.

18. A process of producing steaks which comprises forming apredetermined mass of meat,'spirally wrapping said mass, the suc- 60cessive convolutions of the wrap overlapping,

freezing said wrapped mass and cutting said mass transverselythereof.

19. A process of producinglsteaks which comprises arranging a pluralityof fish fillets 6 to form a substantially cylindrical mass, spi- HARDENF. TAYLOR.

spirally wound tape of overlapping convolu-

